Brambleholme Summer is a story for children, set in the Yorkshire Dales.
Christopher and Vicky move to the Dales and quickly explore a new world of moors, woods and valleys. They make friends quickly, but find themselves at the centre of a mystery and a race against time to find the truth and ensure justice is done.
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By erjolley
Sep 23, 2010
If your idea of a perfect British holiday includes visits to Pooh Corner and the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens, if you can't wait to climb Kanchenjunga yourself, if you find yourself getting hungry when a character eats steak-and-kidney pie for tea, and if you like maps of where the action takes place, you'll love Brambleholme Summer! Duncan Hall, who grew up in Yorkshire, has imported parts of his childhood scenery to create a small village complete with shops along the main road, farms on the outskirts and some wonderful wild spots to explore & name. Add in a large handful of intrepid explorers who find themselves in the middle of a bit of a mystery, and the story takes off! When a friend's reputation is at stake, the children and a wonderfully wise father step in to figure out how to catch the crooks in action. Delicate drawings by Duncan's mother grace the chapter ends, and enhance our mental pictures of the animals and the scenery. The writing is not difficult to... More > read, but it is interesting enough to capture and hold the attention of the adult reader who enjoys children's literature. This would make a lovely bedtime read-aloud book for younger children; older elementary age and up will enjoy delving into it on their own.< Less
Bramblehome Summer may do for kids of the 21st century what Swallows and Amazons did for countless children of the past. A Ransome fancier himself, as well as writer, teacher, and musician, Hall wastes no time getting into this absorbing yarn. Christopher and Vicky depart from the well-wishes of their father ("The Ancient") and begin to explore the Yorkshire Dales, their new home. When they meet Luke, another adventurer who hails from the nearby caravan park, the pace quickens, the dialogue crackles, the group encounters other explorers, and all become amateur detectives in a curious case of burglary. Within the adventures, Hall shows his skills at observation and description. He portrays woods, fields, towns, moors, flora, and fauna in fascinating detail as well as with the broad brush. Regional accents and unusual customs such as a rabbit hunt with nets and ferrets give the story a deep local flavor. Too, there are some strong political implications lying below the surface... More > of what is essentially a story for children in their preteen years. Comic relief comes in the deportment and outlooks of two local policemen. Simple but carefully drawn pen-and-ink sketches illustrate every chapter of the text. The people are all individuals, with private hopes and desires but brave, honest social deportment. Brambleholme Summer is a very promising first novel. It's well worth an hour's read, and children will likely form a habit of coming back to it.< Less
This is a gentle introduction to the wonders of a child's imagination and the beauty of the English countryside. Set in a fictional part of Yorkshire but playing homage to the Dales around Skipton and Wharfedale, Duncan Hall's Brambleholme Summer evokes those long hot summer days we remember fondly from childhood through a haze of wistfulness. Reminiscent of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series, it pays homage to the feel of youthful adventures without slavishly following in their footsteps. Hall's heroes are two children whose father, a journalist and author, has relocated to the countryside following the death of his wife. A kind hearted man, he gives his children the freedom to roam around the village and surrounding landscape providing they don't annoy the locals. What happens in their travels provides the thrust of the book and an education in the innocence of childhood, the thirst for knowledge and an overwhelming belief that truth will always out.
